Updated 2023

When I think of St Patrick’s Day snacks, the first thing that comes to mind is GREEN food! Throw on your favorite green clothes (don’t want to get pinched!) and celebrate Paddy’s Day with some fun, (mostly) healthy bites. If you don’t have green chips or broccoli on hand, don’t fret–you can also make this pretty rainbow board (after all, what’s St. Patricks Day without the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?). If all else fails and you don’t have the time to make a board, you can whip up delicious Shamrock Shake smoothie bowls.

Find more holiday-inspired board ideas here!

For more healthy-ish snacks and boards, check out my Vegan Cheese Board, Build Your Own Avocado Toast Board, Whole 30 Snacks, Fruit Board, Crudite Platter, Mezze Board, Veggie and Goat Cheese Board, and Rainbow Board.

What’s on this Board?

Vegetables are tastier when they’re cut into shapes, that’s just fact, but don’t worry–this board also has sweet treats too, you know, for balance. Pro tip: The best way to eat raw veggies is to blanch them first to make them a little more tender and tasty. 

The Produce

• Green grapes

• Baby broccoli

• Green cauliflower

• Green bell peppers (shaped using a with a shamrock cookie cutter)

Note: If you don’t have a shamrock cookie cutter, use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to create little clover leaves. 

The Salty Snacks

• Snap pea crisps

• Seaweed snacks

• Green Chips aka Guacamole chips (I got mine from World Market)

The Sweet Treats

• Shamrock sugar cookies

• Chocolate coins

• Yogurt pretzels

• Sour rainbow ribbons

The Dip

• Spinach hummus garnished with cilantro (more on that below)

Quick Additions/Substitutions:

• If you’re feeling extra festive, add my green apple shamrock. It’s a build on my apple-shaped heart tutorial.

• If you’re looking for some added saltiness, go for pitted green olives (in a ramekin) or sliced avocado 

• Try swapping out the cauliflower for some cucumber slices

• If you’re a major cheese person, find a block of pesto gouda and/or Irish cheddar (bonus points for green wax!)

How to Build This Paddy’s Day Board

• Like always, I like to start with my small bowls, so add the hummus to the board first to anchor it.

• Next, add your produce items, tallest and biggest first!

• Then, start filling in the holes with the savory snacks.

• Finally finish it off with the sweet stuff.

• Be sure to keep the seaweed snacks and any other dry items away from the fresh produce so the moisture doesn’t soften anything it shouldn’t (i learned this one the hard soft way).

How to Make Green Hummus

You can make green hummus yourself, but you can also use spirulina or green food coloring to get the same effect if spinach isn’t your thing:

I used this green hummus recipe. 

Otherwise, Combine 8 ounces of your favorite store-bought hummus with 1⁄4 teaspoon spirulina powder or 2-3 drops liquid food coloring in a bowl and mix until fully combined. 

How to Blanch Your Veggies

Blanching is not as complicated as it sounds! It’s the quickest and most traditional way to make hard veggies (think: cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans) tender and less bitter. All you have to do is bring salted water to a boil in a deep saucepan, then add the veggies to the boiling water for up to a minute, or until the colors appear brighter. 

Typically after blanching, you then shock the vegetables to stop them from cooking and keep them crisp–it’s not necessary but I highly recommend it. To shock, move the blanched veggies into a prepared bowl of ice water. It’s that easy!

How to Make an Apple Shamrock

@ainttooproudtomeg

Reply to @yafav.em0 what about tTHE shamrock alllw? #learnfromme #learnontiktok #foodtok #foodnetwork #stpatricks

♬ Sunny Day – Ted Fresco

Show Me Your Paddy’s Day Boards

I hope this post inspires you to create delicious boards. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful spreads you create from my tips. If you make a board inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttoooproudtomeg so I can see and share!

And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.